Poetry Takeaway Opens Today

So much more nutritional (culturally speaking) than grabbing a burger or a kebab from a street-side van, this week you can feast on some poetry from the Show and Tell Poetry Takeaway.

Parked outside the Southbank Centre, the Poetry Takeaway is a refurbished burger van staffed by the a rotating cast of the UK’s finest poets. Customers are encouraged to discuss their order with a dedicated Poetry Chef, who’ll then retire to the kitchen to cook up a bespoke, free, literary speciality in less than 10 minutes. Orders include a free one-to-one performance, as well as a handwritten memento served in exclusive, branded packaging. (Open or wrapped, it’s up to you.)

Poetry chefs taking part include John Osborne (Radio 4's John Peel’s Shed), Hannah Walker (Fringe First award-winning 2011 The Oh F*ck Moment), Ross Sutherland (Radio 3's The Verb), Dan Cockrill and Rob Auton (Channel 4's Bang Said The Gun) – plus a selection of foreign language poets from across the world taking on guest spots throughout the week.

The Poetry Takeaway is outside the Southbank Centre on Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX between 12pm and 5pm from today until 1 July. Visit thepoetrytakeaway.com for more info. Poetry Takeaway is part of the Southbank Centre's larger Poetry Parnassus, which also kicks off today.

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Reminds me of an amazing homeless street poet from Bristol, Bear, who passed away a few years ago. He'd always share his poems on any subject from love to tragedy for whatever coins you could spare. This is one I'll not miss.

Cd

aw, wish it was going on a bit later! will be in the area friday but not until about 6 :o(